2 nice guys in from MI looking to join forces with a WY resident for some backcountry

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Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley

Well folks... serious SNAFU... After some great contact, info and planning over the spring and summer, our WY buddy has gone completely MIA. We had a really cool sounding plan in the works for an amazing opportunity and it seems we're left scrambling and in a lurch. We're back to normal, just winging-it and doing the best we can. What I really need is to get a couple horses rented in the pinedale/big piney area that won't break the bank? Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated. No matter what I'm getting a stinking elk this year! thanks all!

Sorry your 'friend' went MIA. I was lining up a hunt with a guy from Iowa, but he backed out on account of his knees. I think a preseason scouting pic I sent to him last weekend made him question that decision.

I don't know anyone who rents horses down there. I know some serious hunters down there because I grew up in Big Piney. Good Luck!

Thanks DryFlyGuy... the whole thing is really weird! The worst part is I had several other REALLY COOL offers, and I decided to teamup with this person because he was the first guy to volunteer and he was GUNG HO! Now we're screwed and just going to wing it and work our butts off!

Not screwed go out and enjoy yourself. I had something similar happen to me 20 years ago for my first Elk Hunt but it was with a outfitter. So off I went on my own I saw plenty of Elk but never connected and it was a hell of a learning experience. I still think of that hunt as on of the best because I bit the bullet and went anyway. Get out the maps study them and go have a good time. Never thought about using a outfitter again.

I met some great people on that hunt while hunting shared info, lunch, and to this day I keep in touch with one of them.

Well I know based on the many of the heartfelt messages and communications I should post the final result of our saga... After a 27 Hour ride to get to our destination we chose after our debacle...arriving at 1:30AM we discovered the ENTIRE area had been burned in a MASSIVE forest fire. I found this almost humerous since I Had previously spoken to the WY G&F office in that area and the woman I had spoke to said there had been a decent fire, but the area was flush with new growth and feed, and the elk were flourishing. I must say most of the land I surveyed (which was many miles hiking and many driving around) looked like the aftermath of a nuclear apocolypse. Very little if any fresh elk sign. ON TO PLAN D or E...F... who knows at thos point right??? situation NORMAL... all F&^&*ed up! A wonderful rancher who was out collecting his free range cattle took a cup of fresh camp coffee and gave us some thoughts on where he had recently seen some elk and lots of sign. We were on the move again, already exhausted and really frustrated. So we found a nice place to camp, set up the tent literally minutes before an angry downpour, and it continued to rain off and on (mostly on) for the next 4 or 5 days.... We worked OUR TAILS off and finally found some elk (also MASSIVE thanks to a couple WYO G&F officers who helped us pinpoint some really good areas to look) and even BUGLING BULLS!!!! For the last few days of our hunt we experienced elk hunting bliss.... chasing bugling bulls just like on TV!! We had several close calls with some medium bulls, and called a spike into within 25 ft that I passed on, because I had been on the tail of a really nice bull who had gathered about 15 to 20 cows. Even though he was not interested in any combination of calls I was throwing his way, on several occasions I had worked into position where I thought I'd get a shot at him.... But as we all know those big bulls get BIG... because they're smart and LUCKY. He continued to evade me, even though several times I thought FOR SURE I had him in my clutches.... So another year of TAG SOUP! all in all we had a great time, and look forward to hunting that area sometime again in the future.... now that we have some good basic knowledge and experience there. time for some rest and recouperation.... and I'm ALREADY EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S POSSIBILITIES!!!!! thanks all! TY N.

Well.... I'll call it a decent hunt, but a GREAT TIME! The experience in that spot is invaluable....and I LOVE to spend a week camping and hunting in the mountains... but that TAG SOUP costs a mid-western NON-res like myself at least $3000 when you factor in everything. So... some medium-rare backstraps, and freezer full of lean red-meat, always seems to help when negotiating these trips with the wife..... prior to this it's been 4 years since I elk hunted and 6 years since I filled a tag, and I'm not getting any younger!